Main Junction: ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes 22nd July)

No need to go thru the hassles of making the change legal... just start using the name you want to use. I don't know about the rest of the world, but in the US a simple DBA (Doing Business As) registration is all you need to accept payments issued to that name, and the rest is just a matter of using it. Meanwhile your driver's license and tax forms and electric bill all still have your legal name... But who cares? Of course if the answer is "I do", then go ahead and find an attorney who can tell you how to do that. But for purposes of public identity, all you need is to do it.

I've already researched it, and the legal matter is actually quite easy in the state of NY. That's something easily google-able. It's not a matter of legality and process that I'm asking. It's the idea of actually going by a different name and changing my artistic identity midstream. (Do please read my question before answering. "How" was never an issue.) The idea of having a more asexual name is appealing, but I am unsure if to do so would be frivolous and harming to my career aspirations.

I changed my name. Never did me any harm as an artist. I was quite young though I suppose, hadn't been going long. I say just do it anyway, unless you've still got some some truly epic publicity out there with your birth name on it. Promoting yourself is hard enough. Promoting yourself under a name that has bad associations for you, harder still. Why saddle yourself with it?

I was simply suggesting that you consider skipping the legal change (it worked for me), and volunteering a little how-to info in case you didn't know. Like I said, if you've already decided that option is unacceptable, feel free to ignore the suggestion.

"The idea of having a more asexual name is appealing, but I am unsure if to do so would be frivolous and harming to my career aspirations."

Unless you change your name to a statement or something with a lot of verbs, I guarantee that you'll be thinking more about your name change than other people will. I don't really see how it could be damaging. As far as career goes, you could make it so that when someone googles your old name, your site with the new name comes up.

As someone who is also changing her name for artistic and professional reasons, I'm obviously biased, but I say go for it. It has only ever been good for my career - though I had an incredibly common name before changing it, while yours is lovely and eye-catching whether you change it or not. I don't think you need to take this as restarting your creative endeavors from scratch, either. Make the announcement in such a way that your fans and friends all know that you're doing it, discuss it with any who have (reasonable) questions, and I see no reason why it wouldn't a smooth transition. When I started introducing people to my new name, they took to it quickly, with a few philosophical discussions about it, but no major complaints that I know of. Even my parents understand, once we talked about my reasons for doing it.

I've taken my time before starting the process of a legal name change, though, and have simply signed my work, introduced myself, and built my identity on internet forums, with my new name. Changing it legally will be handy mostly for banking convenience, and it will be satisfying to have what I now consider my real name on my ID and other cards, but practically speaking, it has not been a burden to ease into the name change slowly. It's also given me the chance to be 100% sure that this name is a good fit, and I don't need to change anything else about it before getting the full, legal change.

One thing - when you change it, practice signing it a lot. I waited until shortly before I had to sign a stack of prints all in one evening before getting my new signature down, and that was... stressful.

#changing of name-DBA is how I would do it; that being said if you go the legal way, don't forget you'll have to get forms to change it for your banking stuff, credit card, library card, you know... all that crud, so it can be a hassel. I do understand the lure of changing your name; and have been contemplating it myself. (esp my last name, which has bad associations in the area).

#EvilSunItchiesSooo.. I went out without sunscreen the other day, and got a nasty itchy rash from the sun trying to kill me via interacting with my antidepressant meds. I'm on day two of it itching like a sonofabitch, and while it looks okayish, it still itches. A lot. Seeing as it's supposed to be a stupidly hot summer in the middle of nowhere, does anyone know of anything other than aloe that I could use to stop the itching? I've tried a bunch of anti-itch bugbite type creams and they haven't touched it; aloe helps but I have to CONSTANTLY slather it on. so. uhm. yes. Any ideas, before I claw my arms/hands off due to stupid sun itchies?

It depends on what's actually causing the itchiness, but have you tried over the counter antihistamine tablets? They're generally sold for cold/flu/allergy relief, but if it's a histamine reaction causing the problem, they should shut it right down (or at least dampen it a bit).

If you've got a chemist/pharmacy/drugstore handy then dropping in asking the pharmacist for suggestions would be a good idea too. Make sure you explain that it's caused by your meds, and that you've tried a bunch of solutions which haven't worked.

Being an old fart who can’t get his head around this ‘downloading-bit-torrent-interwebs-communism-RIAA-will-eat-your-soul-raaaaar!’ thing, I possess an LG LED TV. I’ve had it for a few years and until recently it’s worked just fine, but now switching it on results in the following behaviour…

Screen starts off light grey and gradually mottles to black over a period of about two minutes.The top half of the picture displays – frozen – for about half a second, then vanishes with a loud ‘crack’ sound.After four or five of these half images and cracking noises the picture and sound finally come in and it works normally.

Obviously it’s screwed and needs some kind of repair or service, but I’m wondering if anyone can give me any idea of exactly how it’s screwed and around how much the repairs are likely to cost.

The problem that you are likely to encounter is that most modern electronics are designed to be thrown away and replaced. As for a price... well, that will depend on where you are and how many shops in the area repair televisions. Your best bet is to give a few of them a call (assuming tv repair shops even exist.)

If you like the Echo, I'd say go for it. I can't think of anything in expresscard format used for music at this point at all except for the UAD SOLO, and that's not at all what you're looking for I'm sure. Basically the music world is all USB with some Firewire stuff kicking around these days.

@Warped Savant - The problem that you are likely to encounter is that most modern electronics are designed to be thrown away and replaced.

You're right, but I'm hoping it'll be something like a burnt out capacitor which can just be popped out, and a new one popped back in. I can't really afford to shell out for a new TV right now, and without being bathed in its nurturing light on a nightly basis I shall most likely shrivel up and die :)

I'm building my first ever deep water hydroponic system (otherwise known as a bubbler) this week. I have plenty of experience with top feed hydro systems, but none with bubblers. Does anyone have any hints or tips, or know of any good tutorials? (Most of the weed culture sites have schematics, but there's a fair bit of conflicting information). In particular, can I grow using just rock wool as a medium, or do I need to use gravel?

So my parents will be heading off to South Africa next month. They land in Johannesburg and are then taken to a reservation outside of Pretoria where a music festival is going on.

Considering I don't know too much about the climate of things in South Africa and because the internet is...well...the INTERNET and feeding me stories off kidnappers who follow people from airports and tourist murders/rapes, I'm worried. Especially because my dad manages to pull of the large, clueless and stubborn American tourist act REALLY well when travelling.

I haven't been there myself, but a couple of years ago one of my female friends went to South Africa by herself when she was 25 (or so). She said she felt safe, but she was always a little wary and would always be aware of what was going on around her.Maybe someone else can give you a more personal, recent opinion though.

#isitsafeI'm speaking as someone who has been all over the world and have had friends who grew up (more or less) in Johannesburg. As long as they have someone to pick them up at the airport and take them to the music festival (which is what it sounds like), they are probably fine. Johannesburg is a very dangerous city, but they're passing through, and ultimately, as long as they have a local to guide them around, they should be fine just around anywhere, regardless of how dangerous it is. (And honestly, any major American city can be dangerous too, if you're clueless and go into the wrong areas and act like an obnoxious tourist.)